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Shiny Future For Polished Concrete Systems

Chris Orme, resin & cementitious flooring product manager, Mapei UK, discusses the use of polished concrete systems in domestic environments:
THERE has been an increase in polished concrete flooring in the UK in recent years.
This has come about due to a shift in flooring fashion, with an increasing number of people wanting to create a natural or industrial look with floors in their homes.
The increase in awareness of these products has been created, in part, through various DIY and design shows that have showcased their use.
Polished concrete is created using a special grinding and polishing process to remove the laitance layer from the concrete, in order to expose the natural aggregates found within the mix.
This is then sealed to provide protection from staining and to help the cleaning process.
One of the disadvantages of this type of floor is that you can never be quite sure of the concrete quality or aggregate distribution within the concrete until work begins.
An alternative to this would be to use a system that uses a thinner layer of wearing screed over the existing concrete.
There are now products available, produced from cements, polymers and natural additives, that can be applied at depths from 10-40mm and which give a polished concrete look.
The aggregates used in these products are a lot finer than those normally found in concrete, however, larger natural or coloured aggregates can be applied into these systems to give a more bespoke look to the floor.
One such system, is offered by Mapei in a range of colours.
Once cured, the floor is ground and polished using a special technique, or it can be left as a natural finish. www.mapei.co.uk

This article has been reproduced from the Contract Flooring Journal website. You can find them at www.contractflooringjournal.co.uk.